National Animal Identification System

[lovethesticks]

Is anyone familiar with this? Just came across it in a homesteading article, and am somewhat concerned (probably will be more so after doing more research) as I am getting ready to start a small beef operation with my son. It is not a law yet, but I guess big agribusinesses are quite interested in getting it through. Would appreciate hearing what you might have heard. The following is from the article I read. Because it is late night and I am tired, haven't followed up much, but don't like what I am reading from the "gov" site. Thanks, Chris


Here’s how NAIS will operate. On the individual level, your home (including your name, address, telephone number, and Global Positioning Satellite coordinates) will have to be registered with the Government. Your livestock�every fish, fowl, cow, hog, sheep, pigeon, etc.�will have to be registered. Your animals may have to be electronically tagged so they can be tracked by satellite. They may also have to have blood drawn so they can be identified by their DNA. They may even have to have retinal scans. Agribusinesses, promoters of the system, will have it easier than the individual: they’ll register their stock in lots, i.e, one entry covers a herd

[GAFarmer]

Wow, that is REALLY scary. Could we get a link to the original article?

[lovethesticks]

I will give it my best shot. Not sure this will link up, might have to have permission from site. But, if you run a google on the phrase, you will get immediate hits from the .gov sites. Check back later to see if I could link us up. Chris

[lovethesticks]

Didn't find a link, but the atricle is at backwoodshome.com Just click on "current issue" and the atricle is near the bottom of the page. Chris

[buck21]

backwoodshome.com here you go

[Pat]

(Skip down to the asterisks for the executive summary.)

Animal ID has been a topic of several Oklahoma Cattlemen's Associaton meetings as well as other seminars and meetings. I have never heard about the "INTERESTING" details related above. I could be wrong but I have no reason to believe I have been lead astray and all the stuff about retinal scans, voice prints, satellite tracking etc is about as reliable as National Enquirer pieces talking about space aliens raping our chickens.

There are small remotely readable implants to put in the cattle's ear. It can be scanned up to a few feet away. Considerably more expensive scanners can handle multiple animals at a fairly high rate. This allows running a herd through a gate and getting a list on you computer of all the animals. This is part of a system to track food animals from origin to consumption. It is, in part, a response to the mad cow scare.

It is NOT the equivalent of tatooing 666 on the forehead of your animals and it "probably" won't allow space aliens to track our cattle for purposes of mutilation.

******************* EXECUTIVE SUMARY***********

What an exaggerated CROCK!!!


[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

<font color="red">What an exaggerated CROCK!!!
</font color>

No it really isn't an exaggerated crock. It is true. Texas has the bill on the table right now to do this exact thing. If we aren't careful everyone and everything is going to be tagged in this county in the next decade. I suggest for those interested you pay close attention to what's going on in Texas right now. If it gets passed there look out the rest of the country.

It's already here for people too. I suggest watching National Geographic on human microchipping. This is all very real and sad to say not national enquirer news. [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

And don't take my word for it. The whole plan as outlined above is on the USDA's website. You can also read about it here .

[Bird]

Richard, do you have any more specific information about what is pending in Texas? The current (not pending) Agriculture Code, section 161.056 allows the Texas Animal Health Commission to "develop and implement an animal identification program that is consistent with the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Identification System."

The only "pending" bill I'm aware of is H.B. 47 which would prohibit the commission for making such a program mandatory, because the current statute would allow the commission to "require" participation if they so wished.

Of course, with so many laws, statutes, bills, etc., I'm sure there are lots of them that I haven't seen or heard about.

Bird I will have to try and find the exact legislation. I know ALOT of my friends down there just marched on the capital all riding their horses and several were leading cattle and such. It was quite the ordeal from what I understand.

Bird here's an email on it.


Texas HB1361 was passed back in Dec. '05 (real quiet about it weren't they?)

That bill basically says if we own even one horse we must pay a fee and register our farms and ranches with the government starting July 01, 2006. (So they can find us if we don't chip our animals in the next phase). If we don't by Jan. 1 2007, we could have up to a $1000 per day fine.

The microchipping will be phase 2 if the USDA gets it passed through Congress.

We are trying to have HB1361 repealed here in Texas. Even one of our State Representatives that voted for it said he would not have voted for it if he had known what it was "really" going to do to the small farms and ranch owners. I'm sure the lobbyists made it sound great to them.

They are coming and going with these plans, wanting us to give up or go to sleep on the matter then..........wham..........when we least expect it. Please don't anyone give up. Even if they say they are postponing meetings and deadlines and such.